Dementia
by Please submit your
Summary: Hundreds of years after TP, Link, Zelda, and Ganon are reborn in a changed  not modern  Hyrule. Once again evil is trying to take hold of the Triforce. Will Link and Zelda be able to stop it, or will evil finally prevail? Rated for Violence/sex later on.
1. Chapter 1

_**Dementia**_

**Hey. I'm a big Zelinker, so here we go. Hopefully long story, original plot, set with new Link/Zelda/Ganon characters, but you can simply picture them as they are in TP.**

**Quick side-note: How do ya'll feel about Skyward Zelda's hairdo? I like everything about her…but those bangs. What is with those bangs? D: Lol, so anyway, here's the story.**

**Enjoy! :D**

HE was a young and awkward boy when he first discovered it. The thing seemed shiny—and it was a lucky habit of his to find stray rupees hidden in the tall grasses that littered the area around his hometown; that's all he thought it was. The other children had been trying to find him for an hour and he had been getting restless. The sound of their stomping little feet had disappeared, and he deemed it safe to step out of his small alcove in the Sacred Tree.

That was when he spotted it. A small glint in the grass, just for a moment. He had been hoping to buy something sweet from the town shop and he grinned widely, realizing this was his chance. He knelt and shifted aside the smooth grass to see just how much money he had found.

None. Instead, he found something he hadn't seen before.

It swirled golden and cream. It looked simply like light—brighter than any candle or fire he had ever seen, but duller than the sun. He squinted at it, unsure what to make of the strange thing. Nothing in his memory resembled it. His heart pounded, and his hand burned as he reached toward it. His skin turned to ice as he touched the rim—his blood tingled in his veins. Attempting to pick it up, he was amazed when his hand slipped right through. Cool air rushed over his hand, and a burst of fear jolted him at a sudden sound.

"Link!" Jayel screamed. She was one of his best friends, but one of the nosiest people he knew. Something inside him _knew_ that no one else could know about this…thing.

He retracted his hand and patted the grass into place. Spinning and jumping nimbly onto his feet, he faced his friend, who was panting as she tried to adjust her fiery hair into its usual bun. "I found you!" she yelled, unnecessarily considering she was a foot away from him.

He smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She hadn't noticed anything suspicious.

"Where were you? We looked _everywhere_!" she complained, rubbing the stone her father had set on a chain for her when she was small. Link smiled at her fidgeting, shrugging noncommittally in response.

They turned and walked back toward the village slowly, making their way through the tall grass as Jayel jabbered on about the happenings with the other children for the time they had been looking for him. On the way to the village, they stopped at a nearby river. Upstream, village women dipped large pots into the water and balanced them on their heads as they walked away, chattering.

Link planted his bare feet in the water, digging his toes into the sand under the surface. His friend didn't bat an eye at his silence, as he was never very talkative in the first place. She continued weaving the stories of her adventures with the other children, animated and lively as ever, green eyes twinkling as she looked upon him. He simply smiled back at her, pushing the strange occurrence into the back of his mind.

Years passed and Link managed to busy himself enough to barely think of the thing hiding away not too far from his home. It was only on the village's sporadic vigils near the Sacred Tree that he would remember that day in his youth, when he was overcome with wonder at what remained the strangest thing he had ever seen. But as he aged he no longer felt the need to examine it, or find out its mysteries. He simply ignored the awe it inspired inside him and led his life peacefully.

He had an uncle here, who he lived with but did not see often. The man was a traveler, selling valuable and rare merchandise all throughout the world, crossing oceans and visiting distant lands outside of Hyrule. Link, however, only experienced this second-hand, on the few occasions his last relative came home for a rest. These were the times when Link spent his days inside, cooking for his uncle and listening to the animated tales of the other races and the environments they inhabited. Inside him, somewhere deep, Link longed to accompany him and see everything for himself, though he knew he couldn't.

But his uncle rarely came home. Normally, it was Link and the other villagers, doing their part in their small, integrated community to help each other. He didn't mind doing other people's chores or running their errands. He was the only young man who lacked a permanent family, and it was his duty to lend himself to the rest.

He grew rapidly, springing up to a great height in his time. His errands often took place outside, and occasionally involved trying physical labor, which allowed him to fill his tall frame with lean, though still lanky, muscles. His skin was a soft color, still pale, but darkened by the sun. His hair was long and jagged, just as the local barber knew he liked it. His clothes hung loose on his body, allowing him movement as he helped his fellow villagers.

It was when he turned sixteen, near the river and collecting water for an oncoming dry period that news of foreign creatures reached his ears. His uncle had run to the fields, blue eyes wide in panic, Jayel behind him screaming of them. They were coming to the village.

The bright sunshine contrasted the panic that settled upon the villagers. Children ran to their homes and gathered around their mothers as men sprinted with weapons into the town center. Their eyes showed their inexperienced fear, and Link felt a foreign, cold feeling clawing at his throat as his uncle, having calmed, cast a solemn look upon him. He handed him a short sword and shield, both made from wood and crude metal, and shook his head.

"It isn't much," he said, the weapons in his outstretched hands, "but hopefully it will do."

Link took them silently, glancing behind him at oncoming footsteps. Jayel ran to him and bombarded him in an embrace. "Be safe," she said, patting his back, kissing his cheek, and clicking something behind his neck. He looked down and spotted her stone—her most prized possession—lying upon his chest. He looked up quickly, to see that she had run to a nearby house for safety. Her face was as red as her hair as she closed the door.

He stood dumbstruck for a moment before the situation took hold of his mind again. His face settled into a slight scowl, and he hoped to hide his fear with determination. He swung the sword experimentally, and found its weight strangely familiar in his hands. He set it onto the ground and strapped the shield onto his right forearm.

"They're coming!" was the shout from the gates. Licking his lips, he turned to his uncle, who stood ready with a bow and arrow, full quiver set upon his back. He looked to Link, nodding.

"They're horrible," he began as men twitched with fear and anticipation around them. They had mere minutes before they would charge. Anxiety swelled in Link's heart. "They are large, red, and resemble hogs, only bigger and meaner. They're smart, too—don't underestimate them," he warned.

Link wanted to ask how he knew this, and what had happened to bring them here, but too many questions filtered into his mind in that moment for him to say anything. Instead, he nodded and swallowed, waiting for a few stagnant moments for the rest of the men to run into battle.

The time came suddenly, and the air took an intense charge as Link's legs lurched forward with the rest. He took a brief moment to feel the cool wind on his face, wondering how it was only an hour ago that he was peacefully gathering water with his village members.

He could hear swords clashing up ahead, and only saw tufts of red hair above the heads of fighting men. Instead of milling about in the gathering that had collected behind the front line, he feinted to his right and ran around the group, keeping his shield steady on his hand. As he rounded around to the front of the crowd, he stopped in his tracks upon seeing the first monster.

It had set its beady yellow eyes upon him. Its snout curled in a growl, yellowed teeth dripping with foamy liquid. Its broad, muscled chest had markings on it, but he was thankful that it was bare. The only thing the beast wore was a small loincloth over furry legs. Link tried to think of a way to get past its long spear and slash at its vulnerable chest.

It charged at him suddenly, and the pain he felt as it collided with his shield was sudden and intense; it knocked the wind from his lungs and forced him to the ground. It jumped back, a few feet away from him, staring at him coldly. Link took a few moments to regain his vision, breathing heavily, before he jumped onto his feet and shakily regained his stance. His chest swelled with angry determination as he looked the monster in the eye, daring it to attack again.

It paused a moment, growling, before lurching forward and charging at him again. He swiftly pulled himself to the right, gripping his sword tightly as he flung it toward the beast's chest.

It howled as he slashed, red blood staining his blade, arm, and the surrounding grass. It huffed and whimpered as he pulled his sword out and jabbed it back again, higher up, hitting the creature in the chest. It cried out and swayed.

Link jumped forward, bringing his sword above his head and closing his eyes as blood splattered his clothes and face with the final blow. He heard a thud as the creature crumpled to the ground, and he moved on without looking at it to the next.

A nearby monster narrowed its eyes and came forward toward him. This one was larger, and held a club as well as a small wooden shield. Adorning its head was a cracked skull as a crude helmet. Link watched it warily, still panting from the lingering pain the last creature had caused.

This one drew its club back and swung—Link gritted his teeth and deflected the blow with his shield. He heard it splinter beneath the stone club and he grunted as he was thrown back a few feet. Wobbling, he regained his balance and surged forward, slashing his sword upward and hitting the monster in the jaw. It keened in pain and stepped back, clutching the bleeding injury and looking at him with fury. It blocked his next two attacks, deflecting his blade and sending it flying a few feet away.

Link was stunned at his sudden lack of weapon, and had no time to deflect the severe blow to his jaw. He flew numbly to the ground, but upon impact pain spread everywhere. He bit his lip to avoid crying out, looking up through teary eyes at the red blotch standing above him. He saw its swift movement and rolled to the side, blinking away the tears.

Where he had lain, was his sword, embedded in the ground. The monster chortled, smiling nastily at him as it plucked it from the grass and waved it menacingly in his face. Link glanced behind it, seeing its abandoned club on the ground a few feet away.

In desperation, Link rolled beneath the monster, through the gap between its legs and grabbed the club as he stood. It didn't turn around, looking about it in confusion, wondering where he had gone. He delivered a harsh blow on the back of its neck, sending it to the ground.

He pulled his sword from its hands and disappeared into the fight, slashing this way and that, growing confident in his use of the weapon. He received short praises from the various men he helped as they slowly tilted the battle in their direction. They were beginning to even the numbers, and Link was the main cause of that. He was the most natural fighter, though none of the men had ever had any experience before now. Aside from his uncle, who stood feet from the battle, slinging arrows in all directions with a stony expression.

But that broke as the men and monsters paused in their fighting, turning in the direction of a horrible, shrill cry from the village. The creatures, however, regained their composure faster, attacking the unsuspecting men with a sudden vengeance.

Link dodged a blow, and curiously glanced back again. The cry had sounded familiar, and his gut wrenched when he saw the source.

A few monsters had snuck away from the battle unnoticed, pillaging the defenseless town. They rampaged through each building, growling, looking about as if on a mission. They looked as if they had accomplished it as they carried Link's terrified, screaming friend off on their shoulders.

"Jayel!" he shouted, and she continued to scream and struggle, kicking the unfazed monsters in their heads. They went the opposite way, followed by one small monster, about three heads tall, carrying a horn. It blew into it, and the sound bellowed over the battle.

This caused the rest of the creatures to stop. They paused and looked at each other, grunting in a horrible language the men of Link's village didn't understand. They then pushed their way through the stunned Hylians, no longer attempting to fight. They simply walked through the village, growling at the terrified women and children, following the group that had stolen Jayel.

Link ran after them. He saw in the distance the horn carrier, following the smaller group of kidnappers across the river and toward the mountains off in the distance. They were moving fast.

Link pushed his legs as hard as possible, passing up the monsters who now had no concern with him. He found it strange that they didn't bother to do anything to him as he pushed ahead of them, but he didn't think too hard about it. He had to get his best friend back.

He sloshed through the river, forcing himself faster than he had ever run. He felt like he was gaining on them, and he knew he would be able to catch up. He clutched his sword in his hand, running into a nearby clearing.

The monsters chortled at him, and he stopped at the sight before him. Large lizards, the size of two horses, were saddled and sat upon by the group that had taken Jayel. She was seated, bound to one of the lizards. Behind her sat the largest monster, garbed in black armor. He looked coldly down at Link, before lashing the reigns. The lizard moved entirely too fast, blurring into the forest. The rest followed.

Link stood helplessly, knowing that he would never be able to catch them. He simply listened as his friend's screams faded into the distance, chased after by the approaching hooves of the rest of the monsters. They had taken her, and now all he could do was go back and inform the village.

He would have to do something, though. He would have to do something soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Dementia p.2

SHE was a thin girl, young and innocent, when she was told the story of what lie hidden in the castle gardens. She had always pestered her father about the forbidden garden—it was the only place in the castle she couldn't go. Her curiosity with it only grew with each day she was told to stay away from that area of the castle.

But it was on her twelfth birthday he sat her upon his knee. His great beard and large belly provided a soft area she could lean against and relax upon. He would run his fingers through her hair momentarily before flicking the tips of her ears, making them twitch, and her giggle.

After their usual ritual, Zelda had sat herself back against his great belly and fidgeted with her necklace, which she usually kept hidden beneath her clothing. It was unbefitting of a princess, as it was a roughly shaped blue stone, on a simple cloth string. But she adored it and wore it always. It was her luck charm, she felt.

"Zelda," her father began, his voice vibrating through him and into her. She made a small noise to show she was listening to him. "I have a story for you. A new one. About the Hero of Twilight." This intrigued her. She hadn't heard of this, and it had been years since her father had told her a new story. She briefly remembered the one of the Hero of Time.

"Long ago, the chosen hero was turned into a beast…" he continued, weaving the story intricately. Zelda closed her eyes and listened, feeling sympathy for her ancestor, the Hero, and the mysterious Twilight Princess.

She'd never heard any of this before.

When his story was finished, her erratic thoughts dwelled upon the mirror that had shattered and its abilities. It separated two worlds. So another world lie beyond the one she resided in. What was it like? Who resided there? Were there other races besides the Twili? Could she contact them somehow?

"There is another world besides ours?" she gasped.

Her father sighed, correcting her, "That was centuries ago. But the story goes on. After the Twilight incident the Goddesses of ancient descended upon Hyrule. They deemed it vulnerable in its large, unbalanced state. Although the mirror was broken, their aim was to protect Hyrule and keep it pure. So they split the land into three dimensions, and the land of Twilight was the fourth. Farore claimed one dimension, and she plucked the most courageous beings of each race and placed them within what is referred to as Farora. Din took hold of another, and dubbed it Dinian. Nayru was given the last, and she populated it with the wise. We, my dear, live in Nayran."

She processed this slowly. He had given her less details this time, and it was hard for her to piece together her thoughts. And yet it made sense, the Goddesses' stress over the Twilight creeping into Hyrule again. They each took a section of Hyrule and watched over it. But did that mean that Farore and Din cared not about those residing within Nayru's world?

"Should we…should we worship differently?" she asked hesitantly. Previously, she had thought they were all united. The Triforce itself stood for the power of three becoming one, after all. But now, had the other gods abandoned them?

"No," her father answered with a chuckle. "No, Din and Farore still watch over us and provide for us the same. Our land is simply named after Nayru because among us is the one gifted with her wisdom."

"Gifted with her wisdom?" she parroted curiously.

A twinkle sparked in the old king's eye, and he smiled warmly. "Somewhere in this vast land, an unknowing citizen holds the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Wow…" she whispered, nodding appreciatively. To think that a mere Hylian—or possibly human, goron, zora, gerudo, or any other race—could truly hold _the_ Triforce of Wisdom. An honor from the Goddesses themselves. How wonderful.

"And this," her father continued, "is the reason the Forbidden Garden is forbidden."

"It is?" she asked dubiously.

"Our worlds of four—the three dimensions and the twilight—they are separated by a neutral plane. Two portals to this neutral plane reside in our world—one lays in the garden, and the other is yet undiscovered."

She gasped in delight. The gateway to these other worlds lie here, in her castle. Though she couldn't be near it, let alone see it or _use_ it, she still felt honored to be in the castle built around it. But before she could get carried away in her sly plans to somehow get to it, she remembered the tale of the mirror of twilight.

"What of the shattered mirror? I thought it was a key of sorts."

"The goddesses repaired the mirror and created three others," her father explained, patting her head with an affectionate smile. "But these mirrors serve a new purpose, and require four blessed objects to be activated."

"What is their new purpose?"

"Within the neutral plane lays the ancient Sacred Realm; in which is the Temple of Time, where the Master Sword is hidden. The mirrors can be activated, and collectively can be used as a doorway to the Sacred Realm."

She nodded, yawning, the exhaustion she had been previously hiding finally rising to the surface. The birthday bustle throughout the castle had effectively tired out the princess, and no matter how much she resisted, her eyelids began to droop without the interest of the legends to keep her awake.

Her father prodded her off his lap and stood. "You're tired, my dear. Go to sleep."

She wordlessly made her way to her chambers, only to have strange dreams of different dimensions all throughout the night.

Three years passed quietly, peacefully, and Zelda had all but forgotten the portal. She had grown in that time from a child filled with wonder to a beautiful young woman with never ending curiosity. Her desire to learn drove her to spend much time at the library, and when she was not studying or writing, she attended archery lessons with a knight her father had assigned to teach her.

At first, they had wanted to teach her everything—swordsmanship, archery, defense tactics—but she was not graceful with blades or shields. She could, however, aim an arrow. And so she devoted her time to honing that skill to its finest point.

As time passed she was allowed more duty as Nayran's princess. First it was simple things—she was allowed to stay for meetings and councils with the king. But slowly, she was given the opportunity to vote, and then to speak her mind on the various subjects raised. Finally she attended every meeting and sat alongside her father, and was given just as much power over decisions as he. She helped balance her sporadic, imaginative father with her wise and steady hand.

It was this supposed knowledge that stunned her when she heard of the siege. Wouldn't she have heard of unrest in the meetings? Surely. Was there something her father wasn't telling her? Surely not. He omitted nothing now that she was fifteen, nearly an adult, nearly Nayran's new queen.

Word of the attack was sudden. Guards, previously having milled about the castle with nothing to do, ran to and fro between stations, readying themselves for the rumored army. The king and Zelda stayed seated on their thrones, waiting to see if it was all true.

It didn't take long to find out. Horrible creatures burst through the doors of the palace, snorting and growling and hissing. They had black armor, stained with the blood of her citizens, and Zelda gasped, knowing she had never seen something so horrific. Their eyes fell immediately upon the thrones, and her. Their snouts pulled into crooked smiles, but they did not move forward.

A man with tanned, greenish-brown skin stepped forward. What little, fiery hair he had blew about him as he strode in front of the army, a smirk she could only describe as evil seated upon his face. His crooked nose wrinkled in a sneer, and she felt tears trying to break through her calm façade. It was royal family tradition to keep calm even when faced with death, and her stony face matched her father's.

"What is it that you want?" the king asked calmly. Zelda vaguely noticed three guards on her right, inching closer.

The man's eyes flicked to her own for a moment. His smile widened. "The throne. The princess. Everything."

"I refuse," the king replied.

"Then I shall take it."

The army surged forward with those words, and her father's composure broke. "Zelda, run!" As if on cue, the guards sheathed themselves around her, and she obeyed her father, not looking back as sounds of chaos erupted in the hall behind her. She ran through a nearby door.

Hooves followed her, and she whimpered as they grew louder. She couldn't run very fast, not in this dress or these shoes. In a last minute decision, she pumped her legs harder and ran down the hall, taking a sharp left into a nearly hidden alcove that led to her room.

She made it, having thrown off the monsters—for now. Her heart thumped in her chest, and her breathing was heavy, but she paused against the door to think. She needed to find somewhere to hide—somewhere to go that the monsters didn't know of and couldn't find.

It popped into her head almost immediately.

She grabbed heel-less shoes and slipped them on. She didn't have time to take much, but she grabbed another dress and a cloak, wrapping boots into them before going into her closet.

An empty wardrobe sat far in the back. She headed straight for it, opening the door, stepping in, and closing it behind her. The secret tunnel through the castle was illuminated by torches. She ran forward, following the snaking paths to a fork. She knew these halls like the back of her hand, and her feet took her where she needed to go.

She emerged in the library, and ran down the hall, ducking into another alcove when a group of monsters came her way. After they had passed, she ran ahead to a nearby guard station.

Inside, there were various weapons, a round table with dirtied plates strewn across it, and two trunks in the farthest corner of the room. She ran to one of the trunks first, but inside was a pile of heavy chainmail in varying sizes, which would not suit her at all. The other trunk, however, held the lighter armor. She looked for the smallest one, but could only find an average sized green tunic. In it was thin chainmail, and she also found the matching hat, boots, and belt. She then grabbed a nearby bow, sword, shield, and full quiver. She hadn't the slightest idea or want to use the blade, but she grabbed it nonetheless. It could possibly be a gag weapon.

She gasped, breaking from her thoughts and stuffing it all into her pack at the sound of approaching hooves. She slipped out the room and ran as hard as she could to her destination, sighing in relief as the hooves faded. She looked up, smiling only briefly at the entrance to the forbidden garden.

The door was locked. She had no key. She looked desperately through the window, watching the grass and flowers in hopes of an idea. Minutes passed and Zelda's innovative mind stayed horribly blank.

The hooves grew louder in the distance.

Suddenly, like a blessing from the goddesses themselves, she knew what she needed to do.

The window smashed around her gloved fist, and she closed her eyes as glass fell around her. She pushed shards out of her way before shimmying through the hole she had created. The grass was soft as she fell onto it.

Before her lie a pond, a large tree, and simple flowers. This garden was not nearly as grand as the others throughout the castle, but she knew what lie hidden here. She just needed to find it.

She ventured toward the tree on instinct, and saw its shimmering form almost immediately.

It was a simple disc-shaped object, swirling a golden cream color. It rippled as she touched it, cold as ice. She could hear the grunts of creatures in the hall just outside.

Without thinking twice, she sucked in a breath, closed her eyes, and catapulted herself through the opening.


End file.
